In ecology, decomposers are heterotrophic organisms—primarily bacteria and fungi—that chemically break down dead organic matter, waste products, and detritus into simpler inorganic compounds. They secrete extracellular enzymes that hydrolyze complex polymers such as cellulose, lignin, chitin, proteins, and lipids into soluble molecules that can be assimilated and further mineralized to CO₂, NH₄⁺, PO₄³⁻, and other nutrients. Decomposers thus mediate key biogeochemical cycles (carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur), regulate soil organic matter dynamics, influence ecosystem respiration, and determine nutrient availability for primary producers, strongly affecting ecosystem productivity, stability, and succession patterns.
Decomposers are crucial for keeping Earth habitable, breaking down dead biomass and returning key nutrients, such as carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus, to the ecosystem. Most decomposers, including fungi, survive through osmotrophy—a ...
Ecology
Jun 7, 2026
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For decades, ecologists have theorized that the extinction of one important species could set off a chain reaction of losses throughout an ecosystem. Now, new research offers some of the clearest real-world evidence that ...
Plants & Animals
May 29, 2026
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The removal of invasive rodents from Lord Howe Island has triggered a rebound of invertebrate life, with researchers from the University of Sydney and collaborators documenting sharp increases in the abundance of insects ...
Plants & Animals
May 25, 2026
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In the early 1990s, crime-loving television audiences could choose mainly between cozy, fictional detective series such as Columbo and Murder, She Wrote. The US docuseries Unsolved Mysteries brought a few real cold-case investigations ...
Plants & Animals
May 23, 2026
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As the Arctic warms at an unprecedented rate, frozen soils that have remained locked in ice for most of the year are now thawing for longer periods. Yet new research led by an international team including scientists from ...
Earth Sciences
May 7, 2026
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Tropical ecosystems rely on the infrastructure provided by termites. These insects supply plants with vital nutrients by breaking down organic waste, bringing water to the roots by aerating the soil through tunneling, and ...
Ecology
Apr 30, 2026
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A study conducted in the Brazilian state of Amazonas has demonstrated that small amounts of Amazonian dark earth (ADE)—an anthropogenic soil created by ancient Amazonian populations—can increase the height and diameter of ...
Plants & Animals
Apr 28, 2026
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Tropical forests are among the world's most important carbon sinks. A new study by the Technical University of Munich (TUM), the University of Vienna, and Brazil's National Institute for Amazonian Research suggests that even ...
Environment
Apr 28, 2026
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Decomposition of dead leaves in Veluwe forests has declined by tens of percent since the turn of the century. Meteorologists from Wageningen University & Research discovered this in an analysis of long-term measurements. ...
Ecology
Apr 13, 2026
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While stopped in heavy Melbourne traffic recently, I noticed that what looked like a shadow under a row of spotted gums (Corymbia maculata) along a major road was actually a stain on the concrete curb.
Molecular & Computational biology
Apr 13, 2026
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